Questions & Answers

Q. Can I provide my own transportation to Cincinnati without going on the bus?
A. Yes, you can, from any city in the U.S. Hotel and tickets are included. Simply go to the Festival Packages page and under the package of your choice, you will see Prices, No Bus.

Q. What time and location is bus departure?A. Scheduled departures aboard the ‘champagne party bus’ are from key locations in Illinois and Wisconsin. Milwaukee bus departure is scheduled for Friday, July 23, 2021 @ 3:45 AM from Park-&-Ride, Silver Spring Road & Port Washington, across from Bay Shore Mall. Waukegan bus departure is scheduled with a pickup window of 4:50 – 5:15 AM, from Country Pride Restaurant, 16650 W. Russell Rd, Zion, IL 60099. Chicago bus departure will be from the Jewel parking lot at 87th & Lafayette (8750 S. Lafayette Ave) @ 7:00 AM, with departure at 7:30 AM. Personal vehicles are not permitted to be left overnight at this location. A complete and thorough travel itinerary will be provided 10-days prior to the event.

Q. What are quad accommodations?
A. That means there are 4 people sharing a room.

Q. How many beds in a room?
A. There is either 1- king or 2-double beds.

Q. What if there are three of us in a room?
A. That means two of you will have to share a bed.

Q. What time is hotel check-in?
A. It’s at 4:00 pm.

Q. How far is the hotel from the stadium?
A. The Westin Hotel is within walking distance, 2-blocks. The other outlying hotels are 15-20 minutes from your hotel to the venue, round-trip bus transportation is provided for those booking the transportation package.

Q. Is this event outdoors?
A. Paul Brown Stadium is an open-air outdoors venue and is the home of the Cincinnati Bengals.

Q. What if it rains?
A. Since the Cincinnati Music Fest is a Summertime outdoors event; you always want to prepare for the possibility of inclement weather. The show goes on rain or shine.

Q. Can I bring my camcorder into the stadium?
A. No camcorders, beverages, coolers, food, weapons or long handle pointed umbrellas will be permitted in the stadium. The small collapsing Tote’s are permitted.

Q. How do I get my tickets?
A. We will send you an itinerary notifying you when to pick up your tickets in our office. If you live beyond a 35-mile radius from our office, we mail them to you by certified mail. We record the bar-code number on each and every ticket we send through the mail, in the event they are lost in the mail or misdirected. We have the tools to invalidate lost tickets. Please make sure we always have current, up-to-date address information for you and sent through the Contact Us portal of our website. It’s your responsibility to contact us, at least 7-days prior to the event if you have not received your tickets. We accept no responsibility for tickets not received if, [1] you fail to notify us in writing of a change of address; [2] you fail to notify us in writing of tickets not received through the mail, within 7-days prior to the event.

Q. I understand there is a Thursday night event this year in Cincinnati; could you tell me about it.A. TBA.

Q. When do we get more travel information?
A. We send you a detailed travel itinerary at least 10-days prior to trip departure date.

Q. Will the bus take us to the stadium?
A. Yes, only if you’re staying at one of the outlying hotels.

Q. Do you have a payment plan?
A. We ask that you make a payment toward your trip every pay period in any amount. Payments can be made by personal check, money order, or online using all major credit/debit cards. We find individuals who are diligent and good money managers make payments toward their trip, are less likely to cancel due to financial stresses.

Q. What is the rate if I want to drive on my own?
A. See Prices, No Bus on the Festival Packages page for pricing.

Q. How much is hotel parking?
A. Self-parking is free of charge at the outlying hotels. At the downtown Westin Hotel, valet parking is $30.00 per day.

Q. How long is the drive to Cincinnati?
A. Approximately 5-hours by personal vehicle, it takes a little longer by passenger bus.

Q. What are the best seats?
A. That’s a matter of personal preference; please see the Seating Chart.

Q. What is the sound like at the stadium?
A. State-of-the-art. No dead zones in the 19-year old stadium.

Q. Can I see the performer on the stage?
A. Depending on your seating perspective. There is a giant Jumbotron screen, whereby you can see a visual of the on-stage performer.

Q. What is the deposit amount for the trip?
A. It’s $100.00 per person.

Q. When is it required?
A. Immediately. We accept reservations on a first-come, first-served basis only.

Q. How do I book my trip?
A. There are 3-ways to book. (1) Book online using a major credit or debit card. You must also complete the online reservation form. (2) Mail us a personal check or money order made payable to South Shore Travel. Mail to: South Shore Travel, 7337 S. South Shore Drive, #505, Chicago, IL 60649. Make sure you send us the online reservation form as well. (3) Call us and we can take your reservation/payment over the phone with your credit or debit card. Keep in mind, there is a 3.5% convenience when paying with your credit/debit card. There are no fees attached to checks or money orders. Register Online Here.

Q. When is the balance due?
A. June 15, 2021.

Q. What if I need to cancel my trip?
A. E-mail notice of cancellation to cincinnatijazzfest@gmail.com. No verbal cancellations are accepted. Include a daytime telephone number. We will copy you back acknowledging receipt.

Q. Is there a cancellation fee?
A. We have a no refund policy. However, a substitute participant may be provided by you for the exact package. Secondly, funds from a canceling party are non-transferable to an active, registered participant.

Q. Do I get my deposit back?
A. No, we apply those funds to your substitute.

Q. Do you offer cancellation insurance?
A. Yes.

Q. What is the cost?
A. Log onto: www.RoamRight.com for a quote.

Q. Can we get adjoining rooms at the hotel?
A. Yes, attach a note to your reservation form requesting adjoining rooms. Please provide all names. We will note it on the rooming list; however, the final room assignment location/fulfillment rests solely with the hotel.

Q. Is there a revision fee?
A. Yes, there is a $25.00 revision fee for making changes [except for address changes] to the reservation after it is submitted.

Q. We are bringing a very large group, can we all get on the same bus?
A. Yes, just provide all the names of the participants in your group.

Q. How long has your business been doing these concert packages?
A. We started promoting concert packages in 1979 in Atlanta, Georgia when it was called the Kool Jazz Festival, under the sponsorship of the Brown & Williamson Tobacco Company [the makers of Kool Cigarettes]. We also sponsored tour packages to New Orleans Kool Jazz Festival at The Superdome, as well as the Milwaukee Kool Jazz Festival at the former Milwaukee County Stadium, now Miller Park. There are social clubs and organizations in Chicago who use a lot of hyperbole and claims that they were the first, the innovators, the trailblazers – of the Cincinnati Music Festival travel packages. Well, we still have dated flyers in our archives from 1979 to present day, to back up our assertion, it began with the people who were once known as Gentlemen Plus, who are now, South Shore Travel. We can back up our claims with visual, hard-copy facts – not hyperbole. That puts us in a position to talk-the-talk, as well as walk-the-walk.

Q. What tickets are included in the package price?
A. The 100 level – Field Level Stadium seats are included.

Q. Can I upgrade my seats?
A. Yes, you can. The 200 level VIP Club tickets are $60.00 additional; the VIP Field tickets are $40.00 additional; the VIP Gold Circle tickets are $150.00 additional.

Q. What are club seats and what is the cost?
A. The VIP Club level—200 level, allows you to view the concert outdoors in your club level reserved seat, and mingle indoors in air-conditioned comfort. The Club is similar to a large oblong-shaped ballroom. It features public facilities, food concession vendors, beverage counters, dining room tables and chairs, a D.J. and dance floor, video monitors displaying live images of the on-stage performers. The Club offers the aura of a meet andgreet, a place to see and be seen – all in air-conditioned comfort. The additional cost is $60.00, which includes tickets for both the Friday and Saturday night shows.

Q. OK, now tell me about the VIP Field seats?
A. These are portable chairs which are situated on the playing field (a flat surface). Sometimes people refer to them as floor seating. The cost for VIP Field seats is $40.00 additional.

Q. Can I get front row seats?
A. Sounds like you may be a candidate for the VIP Gold Circle seats. These are seats ranging from section 3 – 6 and are situated in front of the 2-main stages. This seating perspective allows the closest physical vantage point to the on-stage performers. These seats are extremely limited and are provided on a first come, first serve basis. Please refer to the color-coded stadium seating chart on this site so that you can get a visual perspective of the stadium seating layout.

Cincinnati Music Fest

Join us for the entertainment extravaganza of the summer! The Cincinnati Music Festival in Cincinnati, OH, features some of the hottest R&B performers on the planet! So get ready for 2-mesmerizing, soul-filled nights of sultry, live entertainment under the stars!

Hurry, contact us now to make your reservation! And don’t forget to pass the word!